A Bunch of Suckers

For the past few weeks or a month, I've had Public Enemy's "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" floating around in my brain (though it's the Tricky cover with Martine's languid, understated vocals that I've actually been hearing).

"I got a letter from the government the other day. I opened and read it, it said they were suckers."

Except in my version, it goes, "It said we were suckers," because that's how it feels these days. The government's been playing us for suckers, certain that we won't complain unduly about how everything's falling apart (cf. Iraq, New Orleans, oil prices, prescription drug bills, indicted and convicted administration officials, etc., etc., if you're in a mood to argue). And they've been right. We're also suckers to pin our hopes on the Democrats who, even with the Prez's historic poll numbers, still can't come up with a clear alternative--and is anybody sanguine yet about Dem prospects in the fall elections? And we're suckers when it comes to the press, too. How do we stand for their fawning over and hero-worship of this president. If Congress won't practice oversight and hold him accountable, you'd think the press might make some sort of effort, which makes them suckers for the Bush "charm" themselves.

At least on that last point I've got a little bit of company. As reported by Media Matters, Washington Post media critic/CNN media star Howie Kurtz (he comments on other reporters' and TV host's conflicts of interest and such) was hosting Gloria Borger of U.S. News & World Report and CBS News on his CNN show, Reliable Sources on Sunday.

KURTZ: Gloria Borger, are journalists suckers for this kind of secret trip to Baghdad stuff? I mean, Bush was there less than six hours but got an avalanche of mostly positive coverage.

BORGER: I think we are suckers. Particularly if you're the one who gets to go on the pool, Howie, and gets to travel with the president on a secret trip to Baghdad. We do like these secret trips.

Believe it or not, we kind of like to be surprised, but I think if you're a bureau chief in Washington, you may be asking, "Gee, why didn't we have more information?" And when you ask that question, the answer you always get from the White House is, "Because this has to be shrouded in secrecy because this is a matter of presidential security. So we can't tell you more about this in advance." So you know you're being used, but in a way you kind of like it because it's good pictures.

It's not exactly a surprise that the media have been long-time marks of this administration, but it is nice from time to time to realize that at least a few of them are aware of that fact.